Voters kick some incumbents out of office in primary
Some current officeholders lose while many others dominate
Most current officeholders were able to breathe a sigh of relief Tuesday after winning their primaries and in many cases an additional term in office.
But not all incumbents were as fortunate.
We now know that at least three more state House members — two Democrats and one Republican — will not be returning to the Gold Dome next January after falling short in Tuesday’s vote.
State Reps. Saira Draper and Becky Evans found themselves running against each other in the Democratic primary after new redistricting maps placed them in the same Atlanta-based district. But it was Rep. Evans who was on the losing end of the unusual matchup, which means the nonprofit co-founder will exit the Gold Dome after three terms. No Republican filed to run for the seat, so the first-term Draper essentially won re-election by beating her fellow caucus member.
In Cobb County, State Rep. Teri Anulewicz (D-Smyrna) was defeated by Gabriel Sanchez, a first-time candidate who had the support of Democratic Socialists of America. Anulewicz has been in the state House since 2017 and was a Smyrna city councilmember before that.
State Rep. Lauren Daniel (R-Locust Grove), who is close with House Republican leadership, lost her primary to organizer Noelle Kahaian for a seat in Henry County. Daniel was the only Republican state lawmaker to lose a primary Tuesaday.
Another big upset unfolded in the Cobb District Attorney race, where voters handed defeat to incumbent Flynn Broady after one term as the suburban county’s first Democratic prosecutor in many decades. DA Broady lost by nearly double digits to Sonya Allen, an assistant prosecutor in Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ anti-corruption unit.
Though incumbency remains a powerful weapon in political campaigns, it’s clear that voters in some races thought that it was time to switch things up. New faces could allow both Democrats and Republicans to build a deeper bench of talent in the battleground state.
But the departures of incumbents with long tenures could also lead to some instability and adjustment. With the losses of Reps. Daniel, Anulewicz and Evans, the number of state House members who will not be returning next session increases to at least 15 (12 had previously announced their retirements).
Anulewicz says she has no regrets.
“Democracy is not a meritocracy, and with this loss, I am indeed in good company,” she says. “My service to my community helped make Georgia a more just and humane society, and for that I will always be proud.”